DCCC Zoo and Aquarium Science Club to host fundraiser

Tuesday

Apr 9, 2013 at 2:18 PM

The Zoo and Aquarium Science Club at Davidson County Community College and the American Association of Zookeepers are offering the chance to exercise your canine companions for a good cause as part of a unique fundraising event — a "Walk for Rhinos" 5K Dog Walk.

The Zoo and Aquarium Science Club at Davidson County Community College and the American Association of Zookeepers are offering the chance to exercise your canine companions for a good cause as part of a unique fundraising event — a "Walk for Rhinos" 5K Dog Walk. The event will begin at 9 a.m. April 20 in front of the Conference Center on the Davidson Campus. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. The event is open to the public.The event, an initiative of the American Association of Zookeepers, will support the organization, Bowling for Rhinos. The DCCC Zoo and Aquarium Science students are student members of AAZK. BFR is a group that lends its support to numerous parks and conservancies, including Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya, Ujung Kulon National Park in Java, Indonesia and Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park and Way Kambas in Sumatra. The sanctuaries not only save rhinos, but also their ecosystems. More than 60 chapters of AAZK participate in BFR events throughout the United States and Canada, raising more than $300,000 annually. "The Zoo and Aquarium Science students decided on a dog walk event to support the AAZK Bowling for Rhinos conservation effort," says Jill Simpson, faculty adviser for the DCCC ZAS Club. "It's going to be a fun event for the entire family, and is designed to connect people with animals. The event will also be an opportunity to enlighten the community on what zookeepers do to help animals around the world."While the event is coined a "dog walk," it is open to anyone who enjoys walking or running. It will also include pet contests and paint with your pet opportunities, as well a canine demonstration from the Davidson County Sheriff's Office. Food and drinks will be sold at the event; all funds raised from the event will go to the conservation of rhinos and to support the DCCC ZAS Club. Participants are encouraged to get sponsors, as 100 percent of all sponsor money goes directly to saving the rhinos. The sponsor/registration fee is $20 and the first 50 registrants will receive a T-shirt and dog bandana. Registration on the day of the event begins at 7:30 a.m. Participants are encouraged to pre-register by contacting Kelly Jackson at kjackson8316@davidsonccc.edu.